Major depression among methamphetamine users entering drug treatment programs

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of major depression among people entering treatment for methamphetamine use. Design, setting and participants: The study was a cross-sectional survey involving 41 specialised drug and alcohol treatment agencies in Brisbane and Sydney. Services provided by these agencies included residential rehabilitation, detoxification and counselling. Participants were 400 people entering treatment for methamphetamine use who were recruited from participating treatment agencies between January 2006 and November 2007. Participants underwent a structured, face-to-face, 1.5-hour interview. Assessment instruments included the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and the Short Form 12. Main outcome measure: Diagnosis of a major depressive episode in the year prior to the study. Results: The prevalence of major depression in the year prior to the study was 40% (95% CI, 35%-44%). A noteworthy post-hoc observation was that a further 44% of participants met the symptom criteria for major depression but were excluded from a diagnosis because their symptoms were better accounted for by psychoactive substance use. Both major depression and these latter cases of "substance-induced depression" were associated with severe symptoms of depression, high levels of disability and suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Most people entering treatment programs for methamphetamine use have levels of depression that require clinical management. Making a diagnosis of major depression in the context of heavy methamphetamine use is problematic because of MJA 2011; 195: S51-S55 substance-induced symptoms of depression. P

Creatine as a Novel Treatment for Depression in Females Using Methamphetamine: A Pilot Study

“…In a number of studies, rates of depression among methamphetamine users are consistently documented as greater than 35% (Dyer & Cruickshank, 2005; Kay-Lambkin, Baker, Lee, Jenner, & Lewin, 2011; McKetin, Lubman, Lee, Ross, & Slade, 2011; Sutcliffe et al, 2009). In contrast, according to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), general population rates for current depression are 9.0%, including 3.4% for major depressive disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).…”

“…The relationship of methamphetamine use and depression is likely bidirectional, with methamphetamine use contributing to changes in mood and being used as a self-medicating behavior to reduce symptoms of depression (McKetin et al, 2011; Semple, Zians, Strathdee, & Patterson, 2007). Multiple lines of evidence, such as cerebral vascular accidents (Perez, Arsura, & Strategos, 1999; Ohta, Mori, Yoritaka, Okamoto, & Kishida, 2005) as well as anatomic changes like left ventricular dilation (Lord, Shenouda, Mcllwain, Charalampidis, Lucchesi, & Varner, 2010), suggest that neurotoxicity occurs as a consequence of chronic methamphetamine exposure.…”

A Review of Treatment Options for Co-Occurring Methamphetamine Use Disorders and Depression

“…Both acute and chronic MA abuses have serious medical, psychiatric, and dental repercussions. Short- and long-term health effects of MA abuse include stroke (Perez, Arsura, & Strategos, 1999), cardiac arrhythmia (Haning & Goebert, 2007), depression (McKetin, Lubman, Lee, Ross, & Slade, 2011; Thomas, Angoa Perez, Francescutti-Verbeem, Shah, & Kuhn, 2010), anxiety (Glasner-Edwards et al, 2010), insomnia, paranoia (McGregor et al, 2005), and structural and chemical changes to the brain (Sekine et al, 2003; Yoon et al, 2010). Depression, in particular, is a public health concern because cost-of-illness research has indicated that depression is associated with considerable economic burden, with most of the burden deriving from lost work productivity (Wang, Simon, & Kessler, 2003).…”

“…It is not uncommon for depression and substance use to co-occur (McKetin et al, 2011; Thomas et al, 2010). The association between the two conditions is likely bidirectional, with short- and long-term substance use resulting in mood changes and substance use being a compensatory behavior to alleviate symptoms of depression (Koob et al, 2014).…”

Psychoactive Substance Use Among Methadone Maintenance Therapy Clients in China

“…The interplay between psychoactive substance use and mental illnesses has been documented by numerous studies (McKetin et al, 2011; Wang et al, 2012). In particular, psychoactive substances have direct effect on monoamine regulation within the brain, producing various depressive symptoms including low mood, fatigue, sleeping disorder, appetite changes, irritability, and/or poor concentration (Bamford et al, 2008; London et al, 2004).…”